MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal has strongly objected to the selection of Booker Prize winner Banu Mushtaq for the inauguration of the 2025 Mysuru Dasara festival. In his statement, he urged Banu Mushtaq to withdraw from the inauguration to avoid the curse of Goddess Chamundeshwari. Yatnal argued that performing rituals like offering flowers and lighting a lamp to Chamundeshwari to inaugurate Dasara contradicts Banu Mushtaq’s religious beliefs.

However, he expressed respect for her as a writer and activist, suggesting that inviting her to cultural or literary events associated with Dasara would be more appropriate.The state government selected Banu Mushtaq, the first Kannada author to win the Booker Prize, for the 2025 Mysuru Dasara inauguration. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah justified the choice, citing her literary achievements and contributions to the Kannada movement. In an X post, Yatnal emphasized that Dasara is a religious festival that begins with the worship of Chamundeshwari, expressing concern that Banu Mushtaq’s religious background could provoke the deity’s curse.

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Former MP Pratap Simha also suggested that Banu Mushtaq should be invited to events like the Kannada Sahitya Sammelana instead of the Dasara inauguration, highlighting the religious significance of Chamundeshwari. The Chamundeshwari temple, located atop Chamundi Hill in Mysuru, is a Hindu temple where the fierce form of Goddess Durga, Chamundeshwari, is worshipped as Karnataka’s state deity. Dasara is part of Navratri, celebrating the nine forms of the goddess.

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On September 3, 2025, the government formally invited Banu Mushtaq, with Mysuru District Collector Lakshmikanth Reddy and other officials visiting her residence in Hassan to present the invitation letter. Banu accepted the invitation, expressing gratitude to the government and Kannadigas. While her selection aims to honor her contributions to Kannada literature, the controversy stems from the religious significance of Chamundeshwari and Dasara’s historical traditions. Yatnal and others view this as an affront to religious sentiments, while the government and Banu’s supporters defend Dasara as a secular festival.